Introduction to School Discipline LAAC Traveling Training Sac. CA Dec. 8, 2010

2 Alternative Schools ADA collectors and dead-end tracks for minority & other low-income students Disproportionate enrollment of ethnic/racial and/or LEP students Failure to address the needs of LEP students Involuntary placements without protections mandated by the Education Code

Disproportionate Minority Enrollment BlackLatino White California 6.9%50.4%27% Continuation HS 10.2%60.1%21.9% Community Schools 8.2%58.5%25.3% Juvenile Court 20%60.7%12.7% Community Day 16.6%56.4%19.5% 3

4 DATAQUEST

5 Advocacy Tools DATAQUEST CDE WEBSITE EDUCATION CODE & TITLE V REGS LANGUAGE CENSUS REPORTS COUNTY WIDE PLANS FOR EXPELLED STUDENTS DISTRICT & SCHOOL SITE WEBSITES POLICIES SCHOOL BOARD DEMOGRAPHICS MINUTES STUDENT HANDBOOKS SARC REPORTS

Ed Code § In most cases, at the time an expulsion is ordered, the governing board of the school district must ensure that an educational program is provided to the pupil who is subject to the expulsion. 6

7 Questions to Ask About Alternative Schools  For each student it should be determined:  Why is the student enrolled there?  How long has the student been enrolled?  When is the student entitled to return to a regular school?  If the student has a right to return to a regular school, and if that has not occurred, why not?

8 Barriers to Re-Entry Need to serve out expulsion term Failure to accept partial credits Ignorance Placement in a group home Need to make up credits or graduation requirements Tracking of certain youth by a school district into certain placements

9 Alternative Schools in California County Community Schools – EC §§ Community Day Schools – EC §§ Continuation High Schools – EC §§ Independent Study – EC §§ – Juvenile Court Schools – EC §§ –

10 CA LEP Enrollment 24% of all students are Limited English Proficient (LEP) or English Learner (EL) students 44% of all students speak a language other than English in their homes (LEP/Fluent English Proficient (FEP))

Ed. Code § “When 15 percent or more of the pupils enrolled in a public school that provides instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12 speak a single primary language other than English... all notices, reports, statements, or records sent to the parent or guardian of any such pupil by the school or school district shall, in addition to being written in English, be written in such primary language, and may be responded to either in English or the primary language.” See

CDE’s Translation Resources CDE’s Document Translation References Website Language Group Data Statewide alphabetical.aspx?cyear= &%3Aevel=state 12

13 Youth Law Center 200 Pine Street, Suite 300 San Francisco, CA Deborah Escobedo (415) x 3907